HEAVY ALCOHOL DRINKING AND RELATED SYMPTOMS IN A POPULATION STUDY OF URBAN MEN

An age-stratified random sample of 228 men was selected fromthe urban districts of Solna and Sundbyberg in Stockholm. Twohundred of these men (90%) underwent a health survey comprisinga general medical examination, taking of a medical and socialhistory, blood and urine tests, roentgenography of the heartand lungs, ECG, electroneurography and computed tomography ofthe brain. The purpose of the present study was to determinealcohol consumption levels and their correlation with symptomsof heavy drinking and with age. The subjects were collectedaccording to a rectangular age distribution, with age rangesof 20–29, 30–39,40–49, 50–59 and 60–65years. Quartiles were used in order to obtain homogeneous strataand to group the sample concerning alcohol consumption. Twomeasures of alcohol consumption were used–the amount ofalcohol consumed in the previous week in g of absolute alcoholper day, and the typical peak consumption in the last six months.Three symptoms related to heavy drinking were studied: (1) inabilityto cut down or stop drinking, referred to here as subjective,relative loss of control over drinking; (2) morning shakes andmalaise relieved by drinking, termed morning drinks; (3) amnesiainduced by alcohol, referred to as blackouts. Ten per cent ofthe men had all three alcohol symptoms and 52% had no alcoholsymptoms at all. Twenty-nine per cent had lost control overthe amount they drank. Blackouts were noted for 33% and morningdrinks for 25%. Three groups of participants with different degrees of exposureto alcohol were distinguished: 41 low consumers without alcoholsymptoms; an intermediate group of 106 participants; and a heavy-drinkinggroup of 53 men with high consumption and two or more symptoms.There was no significant age difference between any of the groupsI–III. Twenty-seven per cent belonged to the heavy-drinkinggroup in this sample from the general population.